


Scam Call AU (Andreil)

by Sk8erboi_Luke



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate universe - scam call, I don't know how he fits in this AU, Kevin's not here, M/M, They don't even kiss... I'm sorry, slow burn?, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2020-03-29 11:51:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19019365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sk8erboi_Luke/pseuds/Sk8erboi_Luke
Summary: AU where Tilda’s mother is around (kinda). After The Accident happens, Andrew and Aaron go to live with their Grandmother. It is a great improvement from living with Tilda. Nicky is in Germany, but he has a trip planned to visit the twins soon.





	1. Chapter one

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this Tumblr post [X](https://coastward.tumblr.com/post/184630841312/answered-a-scam-call-today-and-had-the-most)

One day, the phone rang. 

“Aren’t you going to get that?” Andrew asked his grandmother. 

“No.” She replied easily. “If it’s someone important, they’ll leave a message. I get too many fake calls and I can’t tell them apart anymore.”

Andrew excused himself and answered the phone in the kitchen. 

“Hello?” 

“Hello, how are you today?” The other voice asked. 

Andrew didn’t feel like answering that. They seemed a little too cheery.

“That’s great.” The guy on the phone continued as if Andrew had answered. “I’m calling today because your IP address has been compromised. I’ll just need you to get in front of your computer so we can fix it.”

Andrew wasn’t in the mood to play this guy’s game, so he played his own. “Can I ask you something?”

“What?”

“You really couldn’t have thought of a better lie?”

Silence. 

“I mean, my ‘IP address has been compromised’? Really? How does an IP address even become ‘compromised’?”

Another silence. 

“I’m just wondering.”

“Why did you answer, then?”

There was a question Andrew was not expecting. 

“What?”

“If you knew this wasn’t a legitimate call, why did you answer?”

“I just wanted to have some fun at your expense.”

“What expense? Talking is no expense to me.” 

“Well, you’re currently not accomplishing your goal.”

“My goal?” 

“Of scamming my elderly grandmother. You’re not accomplishing that. I’d call that an expense.”

“Well, can I scam you then?”

Andrew paused for a second. “Did you just ask if you can scam me?”

“Yes. Can I scam you?”

Andrew scoffed. “I guess you could try.”

“Great. I’ll need you to go to your computer.”

“Sorry, can’t do that. It’s all the way in the other room and I’m on the kitchen phone.”

“Okay. I will call you tomorrow morning then.”

“I might not answer.”

“You answered today.”

“Touché.” 

“I will call you tomorrow. Have a nice day.”

Then the guy hung up. Andrew took his time hanging up the phone. What just happened?

“Well?” Aaron asked. “Are they going to stop calling?” 

“Not exactly.” 

Aaron groaned. “What the hell took you so long then? I know you aren’t stupid enough to actually be scammed.”

“You answer next time then.” 

“Fine. I will.”


	2. Chapter Two

When the phone rang the next day, Andrew looked at Aaron. Aaron rolled his eyes as he picked up the portable phone between them.

“Hello?”

“... Is this the same guy that answered the phone yesterday?”

“Who the hell is this?”

“I was helping a gentleman at this number yesterday with his IP address that had been compromised.”

“Fuck off. Don’t call here again.”

“I’d really just like to talk to-“

Aaron didn’t let him finish. He hung up and fell back into his chair.

“Well?” Andrew asked. 

“He wanted to talk to you. I told him not to call here again.”

Andrew was surprised to feel a slight pain in his chest at that. He quickly ignored it. “Good.”

The phone rang again a short while later. Andrew ignored it. On the third ring, Aaron answered in the kitchen. 

“Hello?”

“Hello, I’m calling because your computer has a virus and it’s very important that we remove it. It will only take about 5 minutes so-”

“No.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said ‘no’ dickwad. And I also said to stop calling.”

“I’m not stopping until I talk to the other guy again.”

Aaron was done with this. He rolled his eyes and pulled away from the phone. “Andrew! Phone!”

“Got it.” Andrew said from the other room. 

“Hello?” Andrew heard Aaron hang up. 

“Hello Andrew, do you have time to fix that issue with your IP address today?”

Fuck, Aaron. Now this guy knew his name. 

Andrew eyed his grandmother’s desktop computer in the corner of the room. 

“I’m still not clear on what the problem is.” 

“Well, once you go over to your computer, I’ll guide you through it.”

Andrew’s grandmother was trying to watch TV, so Andrew took the phone upstairs into his room. 

“Guide me through it? Is the IP bullshit a front for a sex line?” 

It took a moment for the other guy to answer. “Is that something you’d like? This… could be a sex line… twen-”

“No. I don’t want that.”

“Oh thank God.” The guys said so quietly, Andrew wasn’t sure he meant for it to be heard through the phone. The relief sounded genuine to him. 

Andrew didn’t say anything right away. He waited for the other guy to fill the silence. There was more to this guy than he first thought and he wasn’t sure what. 

“You sound a little young to be calling a sex line.” The guy finally said. 

Young? Bullshit. Andrew was graduating high school in a few months. He was practically an adult. 

“You sound a little young to be working one.”

“I don’t think I’d make a very good phone sex worker.” The guy admitted. “I think I better stick to scams.”

“You’re terrible at scams too.” 

Then the guy laughed. Andrew wasn’t prepared for the reaction in his gut. Was he going to be sick? He took a deep breath. Had he stopped breathing? What the fuck was going on?

“Yeah.” The guy admitted. “I am. But I have to do it.”

“Why?” Andrew had to ask. “Just get another job.”

“It’s not that easy.” 

Andrew could sense more pieces to this puzzle, but he couldn’t see them and it bothered him. 

“Why did you call back here?” Andrew asked. 

“Because it’s my job?”

“Bullshit. Truth for truth. You know my name. I want to know why you called.”

The guy didn’t answer right away. Andrew wondered if he was going to hang up. 

“Because I’ve been calling twenty strangers a day for longer than I can remember, trying to get their money, and you were the most interesting phone call I’ve ever had.”

Andrew didn’t know what to say to that. 

“Also because I need to reach a minimum of an hour on the phone a day or - uh, there are consequences. And I knew you’d keep me talking.”

Andrew ignored how this guys voice seemed to calm him. It was just a voice. He didn’t even know this guy. He knew he was a scammer. That was it. Maybe he should have used his truth to asked for his name. 

Andrew took his time replying. 

“Or,” The guy continued before Andrew thought of a reply. “You’d keep me on the line for an hour in silence.”

Andrew could hear the smile in his voice. “Talking really is no expense to you, is it?” 

“What makes you say that?”

“You said it. Yesterday.”

“You remember that?... Interesting.”

Andrew didn’t think his memory was interesting. He hated it, actually. 

“Okay, well, I’ve got a few other numbers to get through today. So, thank you for your time. Can I call again tomorrow?”

“You’re asking for permission to call?”

“Well, yeah. The other guy told me not to call back, but he sounded like a dick so I didn’t listen to him. But if you tell me not to call tomorrow, I won’t.” 

Interesting. 

“Sure.”

“Thank you, Andrew.” Damn, Andrew really needed to find out what his name was. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Andrew didn’t reply before he hung up. As soon as the call was done, he dialed *69 and wrote down the number that had just called him. He may not have the guy’s name, but it was something. 

Andrew was out shopping when his cell phone rang. He glanced at the call ID. UNKNOWN. Andrew ignored it. 

By the time he got back home, he had another missed call from UNKNOWN. So when they called again, Andrew answered. 

He didn’t speak, but he accepted the call. It took a second for the person on the other end to say something. 

“Hello…?”

“Hello.” Andrew said. 

“I’m calling because your credit card has been compromised.”

Andrew rolled his eyes. “Jesus. First my IP address and now my credit card? I’m having a bad week.”

“... Andrew?” 

“Are you pretending you’re not stalking me?”

“I- I honestly didn’t know… This is your number?”

“I don’t go around answering strangers phones.”

“Well, you answered the other one…”

“My grandma’s. That’s not unusual.”

“Right. Sorry.”

“Me too.”

“What for?”

“Because you’re not getting my credit card information.” 

The guy laughed. He needed to stop doing that. 

“Truth for truth.” Andrew cut in. “You have my cell phone number now. I want to know something about you.”

“Umm… I like sports?”

“No, I want to know your name.”

“Nith-” The guy started but he cut himself off. “Neil.” 

“I asked for a truth.” Andrew reminded him. 

“I know. But I’m named after someone I don’t want to become. I don’t want to be that person anymore. Please-”

“I don’t like that word.” Andrew said on reflex. “Don’t use it.”

“... Okay…” The guy, Neil, said. “It may not be my legal name, but it is a truth.”

In the silence that followed, Andrew didn’t feel like it was a lie. “Okay.”

“Okay. Is it still okay if I call tomorrow?”

“Depends. Are you still trying to scam me, Neil?”

Neil was quiet for a second. “No. I’m tired of scamming people. ‘Neil’ doesn’t scam people.”

“I’ll believe it when my bank account stays untouched.” Andrew could hear Neil’s amused chuckle. “You can call again tomorrow.”

“Should I call this number? Or the first one?”

Andrew debated before saying, “This one.”

“Okay. Thank you, Andrew. I will talk to you again tomorrow. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye, Neil.”

Before he put away his phone, Andrew saved the UNKOWN number to his contacts as ‘Neil’.


	3. Chapter Three

Nicky was coming for a visit this week. He was staying at his grandma’s with the twins. He did tell his parents he was coming back, but they didn’t offer for him to stay there, or even mention going out for dinner or anything. He tried to not let it bother him. 

At least the twins didn’t voice their disgust with him, but Nicky kind of wished they would voice their opinions about something. They hardly spoke at all. To him. To each other. They were always off doing their own things. Nicky had kind of hoped for some Family Time, but it was looking like he wasn’t going to get it. 

Nicky tried to have conversations with the twins separately. Aaron was really school focused. He told Nicky about his plan to go to that really good school in the next state over and try to become a doctor. 

Andrew was a bit harder to reach. He didn’t say much, even when it was just the two of them. From what Nicky could get out of him, it seemed like Andrew didn’t really have any plans for the future. He wasn’t applying to any universities. He didn’t have a career in mind. He didn’t even care where he lived. 

“Are you still playing Exy?” Nicky asked. 

Andrew scoffed. “I’m still on the team, technically.”

“Barely.” Aaron said as he came through the door. “He’s not much of a goalkeeper. He just stands there and watches the balls pass into his goal.”

“If you could keep the other teams from shooting, they wouldn’t score so many goals.” Andrew replied. 

“Bite me.” Aaron said on his way up the stairs. 

Andrew gave him the finger. 

“That’s good that you two still play.” Nicky said. “Maybe we should play a game while I’m here.” 

Andrew just shrugged. It wasn’t a ‘yes’, but it wasn’t an outright ‘no’ either. 

Andrew’s phone started going off in his pocket. When he pulled it out, the screen said ‘Neil’. 

“Who’s Neil?” Nicky asked with a smile. 

“Nobody.” Andrew replied without looking at him as he headed up to his room. 

That night, the four of them had dinner together. 

“Andrew.” Their grandmother said. “Could you pass me, the, um…”

She was gesturing to the salt and pepper shakers beside Aaron.

The boys exchanged looks. 

“Gran, I’m Aaron.” He said as he handed her both the salt and pepper. “You’d think after a month of living with us, you’d be able to tell us apart.”

-

“Can she really not tell you guys apart?” Nicky asked them after their grandmother had gone to bed. 

“I thought she could.” Aaron said. “That was the first time she got it wrong since the first week we were here.”

-

Andrew was grocery shopping with his grandmother. ‘Soup’ was on the list, but when they got there, she forgot what kind of soup she liked. 

There were dozens of flavours and the labels all looked very similar, so Andrew didn’t think it was a big deal. He grabbed what he remembered seeing in the cupboard before. 

Their total at the cash was $45. Andrew noticed his gran hesitated again. The cashier repeated the total. Andrew saw her grab the corner of a $20 bill and pause. Andrew reached over and started to pull out a $50 bill. 

“This one, Gran.” Andrew said. 

-

Nicky was watching TV in the main room. He heard slow footsteps in the hall upstairs. Granny was coming down. When the footsteps reached the stairs, they stopped. The lack of sound was enough to make Nicky turn around. 

His grandmother was holding onto the railing with both hands and shuffling down the stairs sideways. She had booth feet on one stair before slowly moving to the next one. 

Nicky got up off the couch. “Granny, do you want some help?”

“Oh, no, dear. It’s fine.”

Nicky was up the stairs and at her side anyway. 

Halfway down the stairs, Nicky noticed she was out of breath. 

“I think those stairs are becoming too much for me.” She joked between breaths once they reached the bottom. Nicky was just thinking the same thing. 

-

Andrew was watching TV, or trying to, when Nicky dragged Aaron into the room. 

“What the hell, Nicky? I have homework to do.”

“We need to talk about Granny.” Nicky said. 

Aaron took a seat on the couch beside Andrew. Nicky sat on the table in front of them. 

“She can’t do the stairs anymore.” Nicky continued. “There’s a room on this floor we could move her into, but I don’t know if it’ll be enough. Yesterday, I had to help her open a can of soup because she wasn’t strong enough.”

“She has been getting more confused recently.” Aaron said. “She can’t tell us apart at all anymore.” He gestured between himself and Andrew. 

“She couldn’t tell a 20 dollar bill from a 50.” Andrew added. 

“What do we do?” Aaron asked Nicky. 

Both the twins were looking at him. 

“She needs help. Like, all the time.”

“Don’t look at me.” Aaron said as he sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ve got to keep my grades up so I can get into that university. I don’t have time to babysit. Pick the guy with no future to ruin.”

Nicky saw the fire in Andrew’s eyes. He leaned forward to try and stop a fight before it happened. “I’m not trying to ruin anyone’s future. Look, we need to talk to Granny and figure this out. Okay?”

“Fine.” Aaron stood up and left the room. 

Nicky took Aarons place on the couch and put his face in his hands. He didn’t know what he was doing. 

“He’s right.” Andrew said beside him. 

“What?”

“I don’t have a future. I don’t mind staying here.”

“I can’t ask you to do that, Andrew. Let’s just, talk to Granny.”

-

Nicky and his grandmother were having lunch. It was just the two of them. The twins were at school. 

“Granny, I’ve been thinking.”

“About what, Dear?”

“How would you feel about maybe moving into the bedroom on this floor… since the stairs are becoming too difficult?”

“Oh, goodness, Dear. That’s too much work. I’m fine where I am.”

“Andrew and Aaron will help. It’s really not a problem, Granny. Would you feel more comfortable down here?”

Granny didn’t answer right away. 

“You can think about it.” Nicky said. 

Granny was upstairs having a nap in her room. Nicky was making dinner when the twins walked in. They had just come from Exy practice. Aaron went right upstairs to shower. Andrew went into the kitchen and straight for the cookies. 

“I asked Granny if she would move down here.” Nicky told him. “She’s thinking about it.”

“Okay.” Andrew said around a mouthful of cookie before he headed upstairs too. 

After Andrew’s shower, he headed back downstairs for dinner. Gran was on the stairs when he got there.

“You can go ahead, Dear. I might be a minute.” She said with a smile. 

Andrew stayed beside her and helped her down.


	4. Chapter Four

Neil called every few days. Andrew usually let him do most of the talking, but when Neil would ask about his day or his opinion on something, Andrew would contribute. 

Most days, Neil seemed cheery enough and had no problem talking for the entire hour, but one day his voice was softer and he wasn’t talking as much. Andrew asked what was wrong. 

“Nothing.” Neil said. When Andrew let the silence voice his disbelief, Neil continued. “Yesterday wasn’t a good day. I didn’t meet my requirements and… there were consequences.”

“What consequences?” Andrew asked. “You’ve said that before.”

“It’s nothing, just my fa- uh, my boss has a bit of a temper. That’s all.”

“Your father?” Andrew felt his blood start to boil. “What did he do?”

Andrew struggled to keep his voice even. Why did he care? He didn’t know Neil. ‘Neil’ wasn’t even his real name. Andrew wasn’t sure who he was angriest at, Neil’s father or himself.

“It’s fine.” Neil said. “He’s done worse. I’ll be fine.”

Andrew struggled to think of something to say.

“Maybe I should go.” Neil said. “I’ve got to call the numbers I didn’t get through yesterday as well as todays. I’ll call another time, okay?”

“Neil.” Andrew didn’t know what he wanted to say, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t get the chance before the line went dead.

There was a soft ‘thud’ outside his room. Before he could wonder what it was, he heard someone cry out. He was on his feet and running out the door when he heard Nicky’s panicked voice. “Granny!”

When Andrew got to the stairs, he saw his Gran laying on them. He was grateful to see she had been heading up them, not down. Nicky ran up the stairs to her side. Andrew heard Aaron come out of his room and felt him come up beside him to see what was going on.

Gran was holding her right wrist to her chest. She was crying. Nicky helped her to her feet and looked up the stairs at Andrew. 

“We need to take her to the hospital.”

Andrew ran passed them down the stairs and grabbed the keys on his way out the door. Once the car was running and he had opened the door to the back seat, Nicky and Gran were coming out the door. Andrew helped them to the car and once they were in, he sped off to the hospital.

The hospital was only 15 minutes from their house, but it felt a lot longer. After they had passed off their Gran to the nurses, Andrew and Nicky waited anxiously in the waiting room. Nicky was pacing. He looked like he was on the verge of tears. Andrew was sitting in one of the chairs. He kept his eyes on his shoes.

Finally, someone came out to see them. 

“She broke her wrist.” The nurse told them. 

Tears started falling down Nicky’s face. Andrew rolled his eyes. Nicky was so dramatic. She broke her wrist, she wasn’t dying.

“What can we do?” Nicky asked.

“We’ll have to put it in a cast.” The nurse explained. “It might be on for 2 to 6 months. Depending on how fast she heals.”

“Six months.” Nicky sighed. “She won’t be able to do anything.”

“Does she have someone that can look after her?” The nurse asked.

“Yes.” Andrew said. “She lives with us.”

“Okay, well, if you need some help,” the nurse handed them some pamphlets. “There are some services available.”

“Thank you.” Nicky said as he took them. 

“She’ll be out in a minute.” The nurse said.

Nicky just nodded as he sat down again. Andrew sat beside him. Nicky took a deep breath before he stood up again. “I’m going to call my dad.”

Nicky came back before Gran did. Andrew looked at him as an invitation to talk. Nicky sighed. 

“He didn’t answer. I left them a message.”

Gran came out a few minutes later in a wheelchair. She had a bright pink cast on. Andrew and Nicky got to their feet.

“Very nice, Gran.” Andrew said.

“Thank you, Dear.” She said with a smile.

The nurse wheeled Gran to the doors. Nicky and Andrew helped to the rest of the way. 

“Granny.” Nicky said once they were in the car. “Do you know what’s happening?”

“Of course, Dear. We’re going home.”

“Yes, but… you won’t be able to use your arm for a while…”

“And I don’t think I can do those stairs anymore.” She said.

“That’s alright.” Nicky said. “We’ll move you into the bedroom downstairs tonight.”

-

Nicky tried to call his parents again. This time, to his surprise, his father did pick up. 

“Yes?”

“Dad, Granny’s not doing well. I don’t know what to do.”

“That’s not my problem.”

“She’s your mom. She needs your help.”

“Yeah, she should have thought of that before.”

“Before what?” Nicky tried to ask, but he heard the line go dead before he was finished. 

Nicky silently cried himself to sleep. 

In the morning, he called Erik in tears. 

“I don’t think I can come home yet.” Nicky said. 

His flight was in three days. Even if they did sort out all the stuff with Granny, he couldn’t leave the twins alone. They were already so close to going their separate ways. The only thing keeping them together was this house. 

“It’s okay.” Eric said. “Your family needs you. I will wait. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

Nicky didn’t hang up even though he had nothing else to say. 

“I’m sorry, Nicky.” Eric finally said. “But I really have to go now. You can call me again later if you need me. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Nicky managed to say before the call ended. 

Nicky didn’t leave his room for most of the day. He didn’t want to see the twins or Granny until he could smile again. 

Shortly after noon, someone shoved some papers under Nicky’s door. Someone had printed out information on nursing homes and lawyers and some of the things they needed to do if Granny wasn’t able to take care of herself anymore. 

After some research of his own, Nicky felt a lot better. He was able to come down for dinner with a smile on his face. He went into the kitchen to start something but Andrew was already there stirring noodles in a pot. There was meat in a pan beside it. 

“Finished crying?” Andrew asked. 

“Yes.” Nicky said with a smile. 

He was still trying to figure out which twin gave him the papers. Andrew did seem to be helping more… but maybe the papers had been Aaron’s way of helping. 

“Thank you.” Nicky said. Andrew looked over at him, but Nicky couldn’t read his expression. “For making dinner.”

Andrew didn’t respond. Just went back to stirring. 

-

Nicky tried to talk to Granny about a few things while the twins were at school. He asked her if she would be more comfortable in a nursing home, where she wouldn’t have to worry about so much. He told her the nurses would take care of everything and even showed her a few places on his laptop. 

He asked her if she had any money saved for this sort of thing. She couldn’t give him a straight answer. Nicky knew he’d need to find a lawyer or someone to help get his name on all her accounts so he could have access to it.


	5. Chapter Five

Over the next few weeks, Nicky and Andrew, and sometimes Aaron, would take Granny out to see some nursing homes and to meet with the lawyer. Now that Nicky was planning to stay with the twins for the foreseeable future, he started looking for a job. Sometimes it was just Andrew and his Gran out together. On those days, Andrew always stopped for ice cream. 

They would talk to Gran about the homes and they were beyond pleased when she said she liked one. They got her on the waiting list right away. 

A few weeks later, a spot opened up and Granny got into the home she liked. Most of her legal stuff was sorted out now. The house was now under Nicky’s name so the three of them could still live there.

Nicky was so happy when he got a job as a bartender at a nightclub. Granny’s money was going towards her nursing home and Nicky didn’t want Andrew and Aaron to burn through Tilda’s life insurance money too quickly. He was responsible for them now and he wasn’t going to let them end up on the streets.

Since Nicky was drawing some attention to the money thing, Aaron started wondering if he had enough for university. Nicky told him they were looking for dishwashers at the club. Andrew started hanging out there so much, and trying to get Nicky to serve him alcohol, that the owner offered him a job too. Andrew agreed on the condition that he got a free drink after every shift.

The three of them spent so much time at the club, it started to feel like a second home.

-

The twin’s were playing their final exy game. Nicky came to cheer. Apparently there were some scouts from some university’s watching too.

Their team wasn’t doing so hot. No thanks to Andrew. Aaron was right. Andrew wasn’t even trying to stop the ball. In fact, Nicky could have sworn he saw Andrew take a step out of the way before his goal lit up red. 

Aaron ripped off his helmet and Nicky could hear him yelling from the stands. Nicky couldn’t make out any words, but Aaron’s volume was the loudest he’d ever heard. Andrew seemed unfazed by Aaron’s rage. Nicky expected a full on fight to break out, but he couldn’t see Andrew reacting at all.

Once the game started up again, whenever someone shot at Andrew’s goal, the ball would deflect off Andrew’s racquet right towards Aaron’s feet. Every. Single. Time. Nicky was amazed. And he wasn’t alone. He could feel the silent amazement growing through the crowd after every shot. Aaron seemed less than impressed but he didn’t yell at Andrew again. At least Andrew was actually defending the goal now.

The twin’s team won. Nicky cheered hard and loud. After the commotion had calmed down, Nicky realized this might be the last time they played exy. Aaron was sure to get into a university, but who knew where. Andrew made it clear he doesn’t care for anything, especially exy. Nicky wished he got to play with them one more time before it was over. His family was breaking apart and he couldn’t keep them together.

As they were coming off the court, Nicky saw Andrew lean into Aaron and whisper something. Nicky’s chest tightened. He hoped they weren’t going to ruin their win by fighting now. The twins disappeared and Nicky waited in suspense for a fight to break out.

Enough time passed and the arena stayed quiet. Nicky was a little confused that there was no fight. He went down to the hall where the changerooms were to check on them. The hallway was full of the usual, people waiting for the players, players coming in and out. No fight. Nicky guessed that was a good sign.

“Hey!” Aaron yelled at him. Nicky looked up to see him holding some extra padding and a jersey. “Put this on. Meet us on the court.” He said as he tossed Nicky the stuff in his hand.

Nicky caught the stuff and stared at it for a second until he realized what was happening. Nicky smiled to himself as he headed for the bathroom.

Aaron and Andrew were waiting for him on the court when he got there. There was a rack of racquets by the door. Nicky found his size and walked onto the court. Aaron tossed him the ball. Nicky caught it in his net, gave himself a few test tosses, and tossed it back. Aaron shot at Andrew. Andrew shot it back to Nicky. Nicky couldn’t help but smile the entire time.

The three of them went back and forth until there was a banging on the outer wall. Nicky caught the ball and they turned to see who was coming onto the court.

A man with flame tattoos on his forearms and a girl who seemed pleasant enough but with an undertone of ‘don’t fuck with me’ came up to them. 

“Andrew Minyard?” The man asked. He had his focus on Andrew and only did a double take when Aaron took off his helmet beside him.

“Who’s asking?” Andrew asked as he hung his own helmet on his racquet. 

“David Wymack.” The man said. “This is Danielle Wilds. We would like you to join the Palmetto State Foxes.”

Aaron scoffed.

“No thanks.” Andrew said.

“Andrew.” Nicky said softly. “You should think about it.”

“Just did. Wouldn’t be any fun on a team without my brother or my cousin. Who would I hit the balls at?”

Nicky felt himself smile. “I’m sure you’ll find someone.”

“We just happen to have three open spots on our team.” Wymack said. “What do you say? Keep the family together.”

“You would really do that, Sir?” Nicky asked. There was a chance they could stay together for a bit longer? Nicky was afraid to believe it.

“Absolutely.” The man replied.

“Deal.” Andrew said, at the same time that Aaron said ‘no’.

“Andrew, no.” Aaron said again. 

“Palmetto was third on your list of schools.” Andrew reminded Aaron. “It has the stupid doctors course you want to take, and besides, I still have a promise to keep.”

Aaron didn’t look happy, but he didn’t say anything else.

“Take your time to think about it.” Wymack said. “Offer’s good ‘till the end of the week.”

They did think about it. Nicky called Erik. Erik agreed it would be good for Nicky to stay but they were both feeling the distance now so Nicky promised to video call him everyday and that he would visit when he could.

Nicky asked the twins again if they wanted to go. Andrew just gave him a flat look that he took to mean ‘I’m not repeating myself again’ and Aaron didn’t argue this time, so Nicky called Mr. Wymack and accepted the offer.


	6. Chapter Six

Andrew got a call from Neil and he was glad for the distraction. He hated to admit it, even to himself, that he looked forward to these calls. 

“Yeah.” Andrew answered. What stories do you have for me today?

“Good day, sir. I’m just calling to inform you that this is your last chance to receive some very important information regarding your credit card.”

“What?” 

Neil was using his customer service voice… why?

“There is a problem with your credit card. We’ve tried to reach you numerous times. This is your last chance.”

They had moved on from these fake scam openings ages ago, what was Neil doing?

“Neil, what’s going on?”

Neil didn’t answer right away. Andrew waited for some clue, but non came.

“I’m sorry to have bothered you.” Neil said. “Good bye.”

“Neil!” Andrew surprised himself with how much emotion came out in that one word, but it didn’t matter. Neil was gone. Andrew was so upset he did something he had never done before. He called Neil back.

“We’re sorry,” the automated message told him, “the number you are trying to reach is currently out of service…”

Andrew hung up. Neil’s ‘goodbye’ replayed over and over and over again in his head.

Andrew went to pick up Aaron and Nicky from the club. Aaron was waiting by the door.

“Where’s Nicky?” Andrew asked.

“Taking the garbage out.” Aaron told him as he got in. 

They waited a bit longer.

“How long ago.”

“I donno. Ten minutes?” Aaron said.

“And you didn’t think to check on him?”

“He was flirting with some guy at the bar tonight. I didn’t want to see them together.”

Andrew stormed out of the car and rounded the corner to where the garbage bins were. Andrew froze.There was a group of guys kicking something on the ground between them. When he heard Nicky crying out, he didn’t even think.

“I’ve already called the cops.” Someone said. “They’ll be here any minute.”

Andrew didn’t register the words until he heard the sirens. He had already pulled the guys off his cousin and beat them bloody. Someone grabbed his arms and cuffed them behind his back. Andrew fought even though Nicky was there telling him not to and trying to explain to the officers what had happened.

Andrew faught and Nicky pleaded, even as Andrew was forced into a police car.

Andrew was given some medication and ordered by a court to take them. He sat on the couch and stared at the TV while he got used to the feeling in his head. There was a headline about a big time scam boss being taken into custody. Andrew turned off the news.

Despite this little turn of events, the Palmetto Foxes still wanted him. Coach Wymack kept his end of the bargain and gave his brother and his cousin places on the team as well.


	7. Chapter Seven

A year later, Wymack introduced a new teammate. 

“This is Neil Josten.”

The name triggers something in Andrew. He feels something, but of course, nothing shows through the medication.

As soon as Neil speaks, Andrew is having flashbacks. He’s 90% sure it’s the same ‘Neil’, but it’s not enough. He goes through Neil’s mysterious bag. He tells his family that Neil is coming to Columbia with them that weekend.

The drive is uncomfortably quiet. No one except Andrew knows who Neil is, and Neil isn’t saying he knows Andrew. 

They make it to the club and it’s just Andrew and Neil at the table.

“Why are you here?” Andrew asked.

“Because you invited me.” 

“I thought they arrested everyone working for that Major Scammer guy last year.”

Neil looked genuinely confused. Andrew held his stare. Neil looked around to make sure no one was watching them. It wouldn’t matter if there were, no one could hear them over the noise of the club.

“They did.” Neil said. “Everyone who was there, anyway.”

It fell silent again. Andrew was surprised Neil confessed so easily. That just made tonight a lot less fun.

“Truth for truth?” Neil asked.

Scratch that, this just got more interesting. Andrew hated how hearing his own words on Neil’s tongue made him feel things. He hated Neil.

“Are you going to turn me in?” Neil asked.

Andrew thought about it. He liked to see a little bit of panic in Neil’s eyes. “What fun would that be?”

Neil physically relaxed. 

“My turn. Why are you here?”

“Wymack signed me.”

“No.” Andrew said. “Not the team. Why here? You could be anywhere.”

“My mother got me away from my father, then my father’s men took my mother away from me and I just sort of ended up here… in the area code from your number.”

“People usually use a phone number to find someone using a phone… not in person.”

Neil shrugged. “Too risky to call. I was afraid to even call you to say ‘goodbye’.”

Fuck. Andrew was in trouble. Neil’s voice alone haunted him for almost a year. But now, seeing his face with his voice, that’s going to haunt him for even longer.

“I hate you.” Andrew stated. 

Neil had the nerve to smile. “No, you don’t.”

When they walked into the house it only took for Neil to do his initial intake of the layout to realize.

“You do have a computer.” 

Nicky and Aaron gave Neil the most ‘WTF’ faces they could manage. 

Neil looked at Andrew. “You told me you didn’t.”

“It hasn’t worked in years.” Andrew said as he headed for his room.

“Why would Andrew be talking about the computer?” Nicky asked Aaron as they followed.

Aaron shrugged. “Who the hell knows.”

-

Neil noticed that Andrew misses practise a lot. He tried to ask Nicky about it once, and Nicky just told him that Andrew goes to see Betsy a lot. Neil knew Andrew went to see Betsy a few times a week, but every other Thursday, he was gone for like three hours. His sessions with Betsy were either a half hour or an hour. 

When Neil had to make is own check-in appointment with Betsy, she said she was free Thursday during those three hours that Andrew disappears. 

“Don’t you have Andrew then?” Neil asked. 

“No, I don’t see Andrew Thursdays… I see him Wednesdays…”

“Right.” Neil said. “Maybe that’s what I was thinking.”

Since no one seemed to know where Andrew went on Thursdays, Neil decided to go right to the source.

“Where do you go on Thursdays?” He asked Andrew.

Andrew thought of all the possible responses. Why do you care? You still trying to stalk me, Josten? None of your business. But no one had ever bothered to ask him before. Neil was the first person to say anything. So instead of blowing him off, Andrew told him to get in the car.

Neil didn’t ask where they were going. Andrew was taking the same route that he usually took to Columbia. He guessed Neil might be thinking that’s where they were headed. Andrew turned off the highway before Columbia. Neil stayed quiet until Andrew pulled into the parking lot of a nursing home.

“Are we going in?” Neil asked after a minute.

“No.” Andrew said.

“Then why are we here?”

“To spy on the old people. Keep up, Josten.”

Neil suppressed a grin. “Do you know any of these old people?”

“My grandmother lives here.”

“And you don’t want to go in and say ‘hello’?”

Andrew shook his head. “She doesn’t remember me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. She seems happy enough.”

Neil looked at the windows in front of them again. There was a woman watering potted flowers on her windowsill. After another ten minutes or so, Andrew started the car and headed back to the school.

“Why don’t you stop in to see her on your way to Columbia? Instead of going halfway there and back on a different day?”

Andrew just looked at him.

“Nicky and Aaron don’t know you do this.” Neil answered himself. “Why not? They don’t want to see her?”

Andrew shrugged. He kind of expected Neil to keep going, but Neil didn’t push. Andrew wasn’t used to this. But he kind of liked it.

It was Friday morning when Nicky slowly approached Andrew. 

“Andrew.” Nicky said carefully. When Andrew looked at him, he quickly handed over the bowl of ice cream he was holding. Andrew looked at it, then back up at Nicky. “I’d like to visit Granny tonight. I know it’s not really on our route to Columbia, but it’s close… If you don’t want to, that’s fine. Um, maybe we could go another time? Or I could borrow the car? Or, I don’t know-”

“Okay.”

“What?”

“Okay. We’ll stop in and see Gran tonight.”

“Really? I mean, great. Thanks!”

Andrew started eating the ice cream while Nicky rambled some more before he left. Andrew looked over at Neil who was standing by the counter. Neil smiled as he looked away.

Nicky gave Andrew the address again. Like he had forgotten it. Nicky and Aaron got out first. Andrew opened his door, but Neil hadn’t moved. Andrew stared at him.

 

“I can stay here.” Neil said. “I don’t want to intrude.”

“Don’t be stupid.” Andrew said as he closed his door. He waited for Neil to get out before he headed into the building.

They passed the dessert cart and Andrew stole four ice creams. Neil stole one more.

“Your plants are looking good.” Nicky said. 

“Thanks, Dear.”

Everyone’s attention shifted when Andrew and Neil walked in.

“Hi, Gran.” Andrew said. “This is Neil.”

Neil lifted his hand. “Hi.”

“Hello, Dear.” She said with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Neil smiled too. “You too.”

Andrew walked in and handed her, Nicky, and Aaron an ice cream. They stayed and ate while Nicky tried to tell her about their lives, and their grandmother told them a little about hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all I have for this story... Sorry for the lack of ending. :/ 
> 
> Hit me up on Tumblr [X](https://bigblackbutterfly.tumblr.com/)


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